Which version is correct in General Kreipe kidnappaing?
Which version is correct in General Kreipe kidnappaing?
In April 1944 General Kreipe was kidnapped by british commandos and Cretan resistance figthers from Crete. One version after the war-in Readers Digest-I beleive-claimed Kreipe's driver was killed when he pulled a gun. What were the British Press reporting Kreipe arrival in Egypt and in the Movie "Ill Meet By Moonlight" versions of the Kreipe kidnapping? Were they accurate or dramatized?
IIRC, British commandos wore Wermacht MP´s uniforms and when they stopped Kreipe´s car they achieved total surprise. Both Kreipe and his driver were taken prisoners.
When commandos started to transport Kreipe over the mountains to the southern coast of Crete, commandos told Cretan resistance fighters give them some time before releasing Kreipe´s driver. Instead of releasing the driver resistance fighters cut his throat and dumped body to a ditch.
I´m afraid I don´t remember were I read this, perhaps Beevor?
When commandos started to transport Kreipe over the mountains to the southern coast of Crete, commandos told Cretan resistance fighters give them some time before releasing Kreipe´s driver. Instead of releasing the driver resistance fighters cut his throat and dumped body to a ditch.
I´m afraid I don´t remember were I read this, perhaps Beevor?
- Dieter Zinke
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Primarily in 1942 a British task force of the SOE tried in co-operation with Cretans a spectacular mission to kidnap the first commander of the "Festung Kreta" Andrae.
But there was no chance to do so. After the reprisals in the Viannos-area the British interest was to capture the responsible officer, General Müller, the commander of the 22. ID. But the arrival of SOE-agents (Special Operation Executive) was retarded.
In the evening of the 22.04.1944 the British officers Leigh-Fermor and William Stanley Moss - wearing German uniforms - succeeded to stop the general' s car of Kreipe returning to his quarter near Heraklion. Assisted by four Cretans they overwhelmed Kreipe and his driver. Moss acted the part of the driver and Leigh-Fermor wore the general' s peaked cap.
Behind in the car Kreipe was pressed to bottom. 22 ( !!) German control points were passed only as sight checks. A single control stopped the car, but the simple explanation "Generalswagen" (general' s car) allowed the continuation.
After passing Heraklion Moss deboarded with Kreipe leaving a message with the declaration, that only British forces were involved in the kidnapping. So the Cretans should not become victims for German acts of revenge.
Not before the next day the Germans perceived the incident. The coastal surveillance failed in the critical area because of adequate boats were not available in the southern coastal area.
Kreipe had a great experience traversing Crete in 18 days. From the Southern coast he departed finally as a POW to the Middle East.
His driver was killed before due to severe injuries received during the aggression, and therefore he was unable to walk, an unforeseeable risk for the British !
Sources:
Marlen von Xylander: Die deutsche Besatzungsherrschaft auf Kreta 1941 - 1945. Herausgegeben vom Militärgeschichtlichen Forschungsamt, Verlag Rombach Freiburg, 1989
Moss, William Stanley: Ill Met by Moonlight, London 1950
Dieter Z.
But there was no chance to do so. After the reprisals in the Viannos-area the British interest was to capture the responsible officer, General Müller, the commander of the 22. ID. But the arrival of SOE-agents (Special Operation Executive) was retarded.
In the evening of the 22.04.1944 the British officers Leigh-Fermor and William Stanley Moss - wearing German uniforms - succeeded to stop the general' s car of Kreipe returning to his quarter near Heraklion. Assisted by four Cretans they overwhelmed Kreipe and his driver. Moss acted the part of the driver and Leigh-Fermor wore the general' s peaked cap.
Behind in the car Kreipe was pressed to bottom. 22 ( !!) German control points were passed only as sight checks. A single control stopped the car, but the simple explanation "Generalswagen" (general' s car) allowed the continuation.
After passing Heraklion Moss deboarded with Kreipe leaving a message with the declaration, that only British forces were involved in the kidnapping. So the Cretans should not become victims for German acts of revenge.
Not before the next day the Germans perceived the incident. The coastal surveillance failed in the critical area because of adequate boats were not available in the southern coastal area.
Kreipe had a great experience traversing Crete in 18 days. From the Southern coast he departed finally as a POW to the Middle East.
His driver was killed before due to severe injuries received during the aggression, and therefore he was unable to walk, an unforeseeable risk for the British !
Sources:
Marlen von Xylander: Die deutsche Besatzungsherrschaft auf Kreta 1941 - 1945. Herausgegeben vom Militärgeschichtlichen Forschungsamt, Verlag Rombach Freiburg, 1989
Moss, William Stanley: Ill Met by Moonlight, London 1950
Dieter Z.
Last edited by Dieter Zinke on 19 Dec 2007, 12:23, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Which version is correct in General Kreipe kidnappaing?
Came across a account just after the war said the driver died shortly after Keipe was captured because of head injuries from being struck by a cosh. A good propaganda victory --but did it really help win the war? For example if the commando raid against Rommel ''had'' succeed and the actual capture of Paulus-Two Field Marshalls vs a Divisional {?} Commander--
Re: Which version is correct in General Kreipe kidnappaing?
The Killing of Kreipe's driver resulted in German retaliation:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=27855
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=27855
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Re: kidnapping of Generalmajor Heinrich Kreipe
I believed this would be considered a war crime committed by the Cretans since Funze was captured and he should be given the protection as a POW but instead he was brutally murdered.Peter H wrote:The driver was one Unteroffizier Hans Funze,"smacked on the head with a cosh, heaved from his seat, and dropped on the road". Later had his throat cut by the Cretans as he could not be carried.
I am interested to know if the murder of Funze was used in mitigation of the post-war trials of German generals served in Crete during the war.
During the 1947 military tribunal of Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, the defense counsel, R.A. Paget used the Soviet war crime at Feodosia (1942) as a mitigation for a lesser sentence
Re: Which version is correct in General Kreipe kidnappaing?
Postscript
name Fenske not Funze
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=132094
also Patrick Leigh Fermer version was "How to Steal a General" in the World War II World at War #68 .pp.1900-1908
Therefore the readers digest must have been Ralph Stanley Moss
name Fenske not Funze
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=132094
also Patrick Leigh Fermer version was "How to Steal a General" in the World War II World at War #68 .pp.1900-1908
Therefore the readers digest must have been Ralph Stanley Moss